Reprinted from A Tender Force: Poetry by Melissa Joseph, published by Konstellation Press.

Melissa Joseph has been an entrepreneur, director of an ESL program, English teacher at community colleges, and volunteer at a local hospital and hospice. In addition to A Tender Force, she’s the author of Moments with Baxter. She lives in Del Mar, California, with her therapy dog, Lotus. All proceeds from the sale of the book go to NIMH, the National Institute of Mental Health.